Acharya Prashant addresses a question regarding the balance between book knowledge and practical knowledge, as depicted in the movie '3 Idiots'. He asserts that these two forms of knowledge must go together. He notes an unfortunate tendency, particularly in India, to belittle, underestimate, and sometimes mock institutionalized, academic knowledge contained in books. He finds it strange to think of knowledge that is not contained in books, as books have historically been the most potent vehicle for the conveyance and dissemination of knowledge. He points out the irony that even to make a movie, one needs knowledge from books on how to build a camera, erect a theater, or create processing equipment. This knowledge does not come from general street smarts. The speaker suggests that behind the ill-informed contempt for books lies a deeper contempt for knowledge itself. The idea that knowledge is of little use and that one needs worldly smarts is a dangerous and shallow notion. He emphasizes that having a strong academic and theoretical foundation is of supreme value. He illustrates this by stating that even the smartest mechanic cannot outsmart an engineer, and the smartest engineer cannot outsmart a researcher, highlighting the hierarchy of knowledge. Practical experiments in a lab can only be conducted on a solid foundation of knowledge, which comes from books. One cannot simply walk into a lab as a novice and expect to learn from there. Responding to a follow-up about the false perception of college life created by movies, Acharya Prashant agrees that such films can be misleading. He clarifies that a campus is indeed a wonderful and enriching place, but not in the way pop fiction portrays it. A good campus offers numerous facilities for sports, self-development, and various clubs, providing opportunities to interact with a competent and competitive peer group. However, the frustration arises when students enter college expecting it to be a 'fun club' for 'chilling out', a perception fueled by such movies. He concludes by reiterating the importance of books, stating they are crucial for gaining knowledge and that we have not been as respectful towards them as we should be.